Advertisers, if you’re feeling especially creative and you have a little free time, how about creating an online video ad on the importance of getting ads seen?

An industry group called 3MS (Making Measurement Make Sense) has launched a contest for PSA videos designed to build enthusiasm about the issue of online ad viewability. It’s no secret that many online ads never have a chance of being seen by a viewer. They’re too low on the page, and video ads often autoplay when they’re not on-screen. Advertisers are being charged, but they’re not getting their money’s worth.

3MS was created by the American Association of Advertising Agencies, the Association of National Advertisers, and the Interactive Advertising Bureau. Its goal is to change how digital media is measured, planned, and transacted so that it’s more valuable for everyone involved.

To kick off the contest, 3MS has created two 30-second spots dramatizing the problem of ads that aren’t viewable. The first one, Banner Day, is below. Agencies can enter the contest by creating their own short spots. Winners will get free tickets to the IAB MIXX conference on September 29-30 and the awards gala on September 30. The winning entry will get promotion on online, traditional, and social media channels.

The measurement guidelines suggest that 50 percent of an ad’s pixels need to be in the viewable portion of a browser for 1 second for display ads and 2 seconds for video ads to qualify as viewable.

Entries are due by August 1. Check out the 3MS site for more information.

Discussion

I think it is really important to grab the attention of the viewer instantly. With a free give away or a shoking statement. This will draw people in and then you can explain the service your company provides. The power of online video advertising is growing as it is a fairly new trend. But it is getting bigger and more acceptable.